Source VMT Editor

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Overview

The Material Editor is an engine tool available in Source 2007 and later. This tool allows you to edit VMT properties while in-game with via a simplified interface that is both user friendly and real time. This heavily simplifies the material editing process as well. Previously users would have to edit the vmt outside of the engine, then go back in-game and reload all materials, or the current vmt. To use it, run your game or mod with -tools -nop4 on the command line and select 'Material Editor' from the Tools menu. This tool is used to edit the material properties with the added advantage of a preview.

Note:This editor supports custom shaders, including ones from the Source Shader Editor !

Note: Make sure that sv_lan is set to 1 in the console located in the lower-left corner (sv_lan 1) if your game is MP based.

Warning:you need to use the command: "toolload vmt" in console for Alien Swarm to load

Interface

The first window on the left is the properties window. On the lower right is the preview window, and bove that is the engine viewport.

File

Note:The file menu is pretty self explanitory

• Open...
• Save
• Save As...
• Close
• Recent
• Clear Recent
• Exit

Edit

• Undo

Shortcut keys Ctrl + Z

• Redo

Shortcut keys ⇧ Shift + Ctrl + Z

• Describe Undo History

Confirm:What does this do??

• Clear Undo History

• Keyboard

Shortcut keys ⇧ Shift + Ctrl + Alt + E

See setting key bindings

Material

• Set Params To Default

Resets the material parameters

View

• Properties

Shows the Properties Window If Checked

• Preview

Shows the Preview Window If Checked

• Show Flags

Shows the parameter flags If Checked

• Show Tool Parameters

Shows the tool parameters on the properties window If Checked

• Default Layout

Resets the layout to the defualt view

Using the Preview Window

To use the preview window...

Left click to rotate

Right Click to zoom

Middle click to move

To Create a new material

click file -> new , then begin editing

see Material for editing information

Selecting Surface Properties

go to $surfaceprop from the properties list and click

the Select Surface Property window will appear

select from the list or type in the name of the surface property in the filter box

see $surfaceprop for more details

Todo: Explain the tool further

Selecting Shaders

go to "shader" from the properties list and click

the Select Shader window will appear

select from the list or type in the name of the shader in the filter box

see Shaders

Ideally, you should pick one of these three.

• LightmappedGeneric -> for world texturing

• VertexLitGeneric -> for model texturing

• UnlitGeneric -> for UI texturing

After your shader type is selected, the list of avalable parameters will update according to what the shader supports.

Selecting textures

go to one of the fallowing parameters and click .

Note:Not all parameters need to be set

• $albedo

• $basetexture Primary Texture
• $bumpcompress used on chairacter models to give wrinkle details for facial expressions (Overlaps the bumpmap texture)
• $bumpmap use normal textures only (self shadowing bumpmaps If the $ssbump bool is set to 1)
• $bumpstretch

• $compress used on chairacter models to give wrinkle details for facial expressions (Overlaps the base texture)

• $detail

• $emissiveblendbasetexture
• $emissiveblendtexture
• $emissiveblendflowtexture
• $envmap "env_cubemap" should be set for this if used
• $envmapmask

• $fleshbordertexture1d
• $fleshcubetexture
• $fleshinteriortexture
• $fleshinteriornoisetexture
• $fleshnormaltexture
• $fleshsubsurfacetexture

• $lightwarptexture

• $phongexponenttexture
• $phongwarptexture

• $selfillummask
• $stretch

Todo: Finish filling out the small descriptions

the select VTF window will appear

select the desired texture to be used in the material

Type Indications

• _normal = bumpmap
• _ssbump = self shadowing bumpmap
• _ao = ambient occlusion map

regular texture if none

Todo: Explain the tool further

Selecting Colors

go to one of the fallowing parameters and click

Note:Not all parameters need to be set

• $cloakcolortint
• $color
• $color2

• $detailtint

• $emissiveblendtint
• $envmaptint

• $fleshbordertint
• $fleshsubsurfacetint

• $outlinecolor

• $selfillumtint
• $srgbtint

Todo: Finish filling out the small descriptions

the Select Color window will appear

adjust the color swatch, or type in the values to get the desired color

the color box will change to the selected color

Todo: Explain the tool further

Setting Key Bindings

to set key bindings click Edit -> Key Bindings

the Key Bindings Editor window will appear

Todo: Explain the Key Bindings Editor

Shader Parameters

see List of Shader Parameters for more details

Data types

Todo: add more information, Explain Data types

• bool "short for boolean" in which 0 = false and 1 = true
• color <color255 + int> (ex. 97 11 255 255)
• float "floating point" a decimal between 0 and 1 (ex. 0.75)
• int "short for integer" (ex. 56)
• matrix "written in binary" (ex. 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 )
• string "file path" (ex. brick\brickfloor001a.vtf) "name" (ex. VertexLitGeneric)
• vector2 "two configureable values" (ex. 23 45)
• vector3 "three configureable values" (ex. 23 45 37)
• vector4 "four configureable values" (ex. 23 45 37 89)

Loading a material

Note:Complex material designs can and may crash the editor when loading

Warning:Do not load material vmts outside of the loaded mod or game directory, the associated vtf files may not load as a result

click file -> Open..., open the file located only in the mod or game directory currently running

Saving a material

Note:Somtimes settings may not stick, this could be due to having invalid configurations

Warning:Do not save material vmts outside of the loaded mod or game directory, the material will not load as a result

click file -> save as..., give the material a name, and save only in the mod or game directory currently running

See Also

• Material
• Creating a Material
• Valve Texture Format
• Shaders
• List of Shader Parameters
• Engine tools